Equestrian statue of Vytautas the great in Birstonas Lithuania

CountryLithuania
Town:Birstonas
Year of creation:1998
Rider(s):Vytautas the Great

(c. 1350 – 1430) was one of the most famous rulers of medieval Lithuania. He was was the ruler (1392–1430) of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which chiefly encompassed the Lithuanians and Ruthenians, and as such in first instance an adversary of Jagiello and ally of the Teutonic Knights, but later on the other way around. In modern Lithuania, Vytautas is revered as a national hero and as such an important figure in the national rebirth in the 19th century.
Sculptor(s):Jokubonis, G.

(1927 – 2006) – People’s Artist of the Lithuanian SSR (1977), People’s Artist of the USSR (1987), winner of the Lenin Prize (1963). Member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union since 1965.

Description:

Photos from VanderKrogt.net

“Statue of Vytautas the Great was built from pink granite by sculptor G. Jokūbonis and architect V. Čekanauskas. The sculptor embodied ideas expressed by a majority of Birštonas’ residents – to bring Vytautas and his horse back to their hunting-ground.
Sculptor G. Jokūbonis created a sculpture were Vytautas’ figure blends into a horse figure, this way the sculptor emphasizes Vytautas’s abilities to fight and desire to act. Granite for the statue was brought from the country the grounds of which belonged to Lithuania during the rule of Vytautas the Great – Ukraine. The statue weighed nearly thirty tons. Several areas were suggested for the statue to be built in; however, the sculptor believed that the Vytautas Park, situated between the Vytautas Hill and Nemunas embankment, was the most suitable place to build it. G. Jokūbonis sculptures are characteristic of serenity and dignity – one may easily spot these features in the statue of Vytautas the Great, which portrays the duke admiring Birštonas resort.”